Defenders of the Force, Episode 1: New Blood
by EsmeAmelia
Summary: The first in a series of stories about the next generation of Jedi. Luke's daughter and Leia and Han's son are starting their Jedi training, but they run into a new trouble for the galaxy. Stories feature Luke, Leia, Han, Chewie, the droids, and OCs. Episode complete.
1. Chapter 1

AN: You know I don't own Star Wars - Disney does now. So . . . Episode 7 is now a reality. I have mixed feelings about the idea, but I'll personally withhold judgement at least until we know more about it. However, now I'm going to do my own series of fanfics that sort of chronicle my take on the characters' future and the next generation of Jedi. Unlike my other big fanfics, these fics won't be AU (yet - undoubtedly they'll become AU once Episode 7 comes out). There will be quite a few OCs, but the canon characters will be very prominent as well. Think of it like a serial or a written TV series or my own EU or . . . something.

Bit of background before we start. These fics take place sixteen years after ROTJ. Leia and Han's twins Jaina and Jacen are fifteen and they are studying at Luke's Jedi Academy (which is on Coruscant in the old Jedi Temple, not Yavin 4 like in the books), and their younger son Anakin is thirteen and he is just starting his training. Luke is married to my OC Rianna, a Force-sensitive former Naboo queen whom I've used in a few of my other stories (check out "My Mother" and "Destiny" to learn more about her), and they have two children: Mae, who's thirteen and beginning her studies at Luke's Academy, and Owen, who's ten.

Each "episode" will have a few chapters (probably five or less) and then I'll start a new "episode" as a new story.

And the EU will be IGNORED. As usual in my fics, the only EU characters used will be the Solo kids and there won't be any of that shit like Jacen becoming a Sith.

Okay, that was a lot of author's notes. On with the fic.

"Defenders of the Force, Episode 1: New Blood"

By EsmeAmelia

Chapter 1

Luke Skywalker gazed out his bedroom window, wrapped up in his robe, watching the speeders zip around the high buildings against the backdrop of the sky slowly turning pink. There was a slight chill in the morning air, but he didn't mind it. He breathed on the glass, making it fog up, blurring the five towers of the old Jedi Temple. Long had it sat empty, but now it stood tall and proud once again, welcoming the next generation of Jedi.

The generation his daughter would join today.

He slowly turned around, shifting his gaze to the bed in which his wife was still sleeping. Rianna's light brown face was partly concealed by the layers of blankets over which her thick black hair draped. She breathed steadily, making the blankets rise and fall ever-so-slightly. Part of Luke wanted to get back into bed with her, but that would only make it harder to get up when they needed to. Instead he sat down on the edge, scooting closer to his wife, smiling as he gazed at her green eyes slowly opening.

"Good morning, sweetheart," he whispered.

Rianna gave him a sleepy smile. "What time is it?"

Luke grinned back at her, leaning forward as he cupped his hands around her cheeks. "Not yet time to get up."

"Then why are you up?" Rianna reached up and twirled a lock of her husband's hair around her finger. "Let me guess . . . you're worried about Mae?"

Luke gave a smirk. "What? Worried? Me? Of course not, she'll do fine. She's a Skywalker, you know."

"And you're worried."

"Terrified." Luke grinned down at his wife, leaning over to kiss her, but he was interrupted by a cry at the door.

"Mom! Dad! Owen's playing with my robe!"

The parents both glanced at the door. "Well, I guess it is time to get up after all," Luke groaned as he rose from the bed and opened the door, revealing his daughter standing there in her light green pajamas, her shoulder-length black hair in a disheveled mess. "Mae, sweetheart," said Luke, "what's going on?"

"I told you," said Mae, pointing down the hall. "Owen's playing with my Jedi robe and he won't give it back!"

"Well you're a _Jedi_ now, aren't you?" a child's voice called. "Use the _Force _to get it back!"

Luke stuck his head out the door and gazed over in the direction of the voice. Sure enough, there was his son, wearing the light brown Jedi robe he had given his daughter just yesterday. The color of the robe matched his hair, but it was far too big for him - it dragged along the floor as he swayed from side to side.

"I'm a Jedi Knight!" Owen said in a mocking voice. "I defend the universe!" He put his right hand on top of his left one as if he were holding a lightsaber, then began tilting them back and forth as if swinging it. "Suuuing, thwing, jing! I got a lightsaber and I can cut through anything! No one can stop me!"

Luke wanted to laugh, but he had a feeling that his daughter wouldn't approve if he did so. "All right Owen, that's enough," he said, though he couldn't keep himself from grinning as he did so. "Give your sister back her robe."

"It's MY robe!" hollered Owen. "I'M the Jedi here!"

"Oh really?" said Luke, putting his hands on his hips. "Well then, let's see you fight me with your lightsaber!" He held up his own hands as if holding an imaginary lightsaber.

"_Dad!"_ said Mae. "We don't have _time _for this!"

But neither the father nor the son listened. They engaged in imaginary lightsaber duel, imitating the noises of their weapons as best they could. It went on for a good five minutes, despite Mae's protests. It wasn't until they both started laughing when Owen finally took off the robe and handed it to Mae.

"Thanks for lettin' me borrow it!" he chirpped.

Mae swiped the robe away from him.

"Remember, you can't get angry!" Owen teased as he rushed back to his room. "Anger leads to the DARK SIDE!"

Luke quickly put his hand on his daughter's shoulder. "It's all right sweetheart, he's just jealous."

"He shouldn't be," said Rianna as she joined them in the hall. "He's got three more years of freedom, after all."

"Yeah," said Mae. "Freedom." She flung her robe over her shoulder. "So, what's for breakfast?"

"Well what do you want?" said Luke. "My little Jedi should get to decide on her first day at the Academy."

Mae rolled her eyes. "Dad, I'm not five anymore."

"You'll _always _be our little girl," said Rianna. "It's not like the old days of the Jedi when children were taken away from their parents."

"Yeah yeah, I know," said Mae. "The old days when I wouldn't even know who you guys are." She leaned over the railing that overlooked their living room. "Can we have pancakes?"

"Pancakes?" exclaimed Rianna.

Mae turned back to look at her parents, a cheeky grin on her face. "Yeah. Shouldn't we have something special on my first day as a Jedi?" She made her eyes as wide as was possible. "Pleeeaaase?"

Rianna grinned back as she shook her head in wonderment at her daughter's pursuasion skills. "All right, pancakes!"

. . .

Meanwhile, the Solos were already up. With three teenagers needing to be ready for class by midmorning, an early start was the only way to guarantee that they would be ready on time. Right now they were seated around the breakfast table, all in pajamas and bathrobes, eating away at their morning meal before they would have to rush to get dressed and get going.

"Nervous, Ani?" said Jacen.

"No," said Anakin, though he quickly took a bite of cereal after he spoke.

"Well you _should _be!" said Jaina. "Uncle Luke made us fight each other at our orientation! With lightsabers!"

"Jaina," said Leia, "don't frighten your brother."

But instead of cowering in fear, Anakin grinned at his sister. "That would actually be _cool."_

"Well it doesn't happen," said Leia, rapidly buttering her toast.

"It _would _be interesting, though," Han said slyly.

Leia rolled her eyes. "Fine, talk to Luke about it." She bit into her toast, informing her family that she would say nothing more about that subject.

Jaina gave her little brother a small pat on the shoulder. "You're gonna be a great Jedi, Ani. Not as good as me, of course, but good."

"_Jai_na," said Leia, "remember that the Jedi are _humble._"

"Suuuure, they are," said Jacen.

Leia eyed her youngest son. "By the way Anakin, don't think that just because I'm your mother I'll go easy on you in class."

"You don't go easy on us _anyway,"_ said Anakin.

"True," was all Leia said in response, though she smiled as she ate away at her toast.

"Heh," said Han as he looked down at his food. "Personally, I think you guys need some lessons in non-Force stuff at that school."

"Like what?" said Leia. "Blaster classes?"

"Who needs a blaster when you've got a _lightsaber?"_ asked Anakin. "I bet I'll be the greatest lightsaber fighter _ever!"_

Leia shook her finger at her son. "Anakin, what did I say about the Jedi being humble?"

Anakin only grinned.

Leia glanced up at the chronometer. "And _speaking _of which, everybody needs to finish up - it's almost time to go. Come on, eat up, eat up."

Anakin obeyed his mother, but he couldn't help but hope she would go a _little _easy on him in her classes. After all, she _was _his mother.

. . .

By midmorning, all the new Jedi trainees were gathered in the Jedi Temple's auditorium, seated in the first few rows in front of the stage for orientation. The parents and other guests were up in the balcony seats, out of sight from the trainees, which meant they could pretend their parents weren't there if they wanted to. Anakin, however, preferred to remember that his parents weren't too far away - it helped to calm the jitters in his stomach. Next to him, Mae was sitting straight up, eyes pointed at the stage, but he suspected that his cousin was probably even more nervous than he was.

"Hey Mae," he said in as friendly a manner as he could muster, "you excited?"

Mae turned around and leaned on the wooden armrest. "Yeah, why wouldn't I be? I mean, Mom and Dad have been preparing me for this my whole _life,_ like from when I was still in utero. So yeah, why wouldn't I be excited?"

"No reason, I guess," Anakin said with a shrug. "I'm terrified, personally. Course, Jaina and Jacen probably already told everyone I'm a troublemaker."

Mae snickered. "Well I don't have any older siblings to spread the word about me. Just my mom and dad . . . and everyone in the galaxy expecting Luke Skywalker's daughter to follow in his footsteps."

"Hey, my parents are Leia Organa and Han Solo," said Anakin.

"Yeah, but like you said, you've got older siblings. I don't."

They were interrupted by a soft female voice making its way down the row. "Excuse me, excuse me," it said. Both Mae and Anakin turned to see that the voice belonged to a Murielen girl around their age. Like most Murielen females, she was dressed in black and wore a matching hood, but a few locks of brown hair came peeking out from under the hood. She was carrying a small device that looked like a lightsaber handle, except the edges were rounded and it had far more buttons.

"Excuse me," she asked Anakin, "is this seat reserved for anyone?"

"Uh . . . no," said Anakin, his eyes widening as he looked at her face. Her yellow-green skin was dotted with tattoos, but her blue eyes were unfocused, as if they were looking at absolutely nothing. He kept looking at her as she sat down, only stopping when he felt Mae swatting his shoulder.

"Anakin, don't stare!" she whispered. "She's blind!"

Anakin gulped. "I . . . I wasn't staring . . ."

The girl looked in his direction, but still not looking _at_ anything, a slight grin on her face. "Were you staring at me?"

"No, no, he wasn't," Mae quickly said. "Uh, hi, I'm Mae and this is my cousin Anakin. We're starting our Jedi training today. I guess you are too?"

The girl's small smile grew into a full-fledged grin. "That I am." She bowed her head. "I'm Tamyra Offee. Pleased to meet you."

"Offee?" said Anakin. "Wasn't there a padawan in the old Jedi Order named Offee?"

"Anakin," Mae whispered.

"Ah, a learned trainee," said Tamyra. "Yes, there was. In fact, Barriss Offee was my aunt. My father's older sister, though of course he never knew her."

"Wow," Anakin breathed. "I didn't know she had any living relatives. Hey Mae, isn't this awesome? First day at school and we meet a relative of an old Jedi!"

"Fabulous," said Mae, folding her arms.

"So, Anakin and Mae," said Tamyra. "You two don't need any introduction, obviously. Son and daughter of the famous Skywalker twins."

Mae's light tan face reddened while Anakin grinned. "Yup, that's who we are, all right," he said. "All three of us have famous Jedi relatives."

"Son and daughter of the famous Skywalker twins?" said Mae, her face still red. "You made it sound like Dad and Aunt Leia married each other."

Tamyra gave her light laugh again. "I think we're going to be great friends."

Meanwhile Anakin couldn't help but glance at the strange instrument she held. "Say, Tamyra, if you don't mind me asking, what's that you're holding?"

Tamyra held up the instrument. "Oh, you mean my sensor? It helps me see. I can use the Force to sense life forms, and this helps me with non-living things. It buzzes when I point it at something."

Anakin grinned. "Neat . . . but, again, if you don't mind me asking . . . can't you get surgery or something for your eyes?"

"Won't help," said Tamyra. "I was born blind. Besides, the problem's in my brain, not my eyes themselves."

She said it so nonchalantly, as if being unable to see didn't matter to her. Well, Anakin supposed that if she had never seen in her life, she wouldn't miss it.

"Have you met my mom and dad yet?" Mae asked.

"Not yet," said Tamyra. "I've heard a lot about them though, but who hasn't? They're some of the most famous people in the galaxy, after all."

Mae blushed again.

"Well _my _mom and dad are famous too," Anakin quickly said. "My mom's the president of the senate and my dad, well, my dad flew the Kessel Run in under twelve parsecs!"

Just then, the lights dimmed, informing everyone that the orientation was starting. "Welcome new Jedi trainees and parents," Luke's voice boomed over the speakers. "I'd like to thank you all for coming to orientation. Before we begin, I have to request that no one leave during the orientation, since we have some very important things to discuss today, but if it's absolutely necessary to leave, exits are located at the back of the auditorium. I'd also like to ask that you refrain from talking during the orientation unless you're a new trainee asking or answering a question. Also, holorecording is not allowed. Well, I guess that's everything, so enjoy and may the Force be with you." After a short fanfare, the always-familiar golden protocol droid and astromech droid hobbled and rolled onto the stage.

"Welcome, Jedi of tomorrow," C-3PO said in his friendly accented voice. "I am C-3PO, human-cyborg relations, and this is my counterpart, R2-D2."

R2 beeped a hello to the audience.

"Yes," said 3PO. "As R2 just said, you are about to embark on a lifelong journey of protecting the galaxy."

R2 beeped again.

"Yes R2, I was just getting to that," said 3PO. "You are about to step into a larger world. The Force will guide you through your journey into the unknown. It can be quite a scary journey, but remember that you will have Master Luke and your other teachers to guide you. And speaking of Master Luke, his own dear daughter is beginning her training today!" He started waving to the audience. "Hello, Mistress Mae!"

Mae sank as far down into her seat as was physically possible.

"Well I'm sure you will all be great friends with Mistress Mae - she is a most wonderful human," said 3PO, oblivious as always. "Anyway, allow me to introduce another lovely mistress with whom you will be working. Many years ago she was a queen of Naboo, and she continues to serve the galaxy to this very day. Allow me to introduce Mistress Rianna Trenn Skywalker!"

The audience applauded as Rianna stepped onto the stage, wearing her own Jedi robe, her lightsaber swinging from her belt. She bowed before her audience, looking like she was smiling directly at her daughter.

"Don't worry Mae," Anakin whispered to his cousin. "I'm sure your mom won't embarrass you like 3PO did."

"Who said 3PO embarrassed me?" Mae whispered back.

"Your cheeks."

Tamyra gave a slight giggle, but they all snapped to attention when Rianna started speaking.

"Young Jedi," she said in her dignified, accented voice, "I'm pleased to meet all of you. We'll be seeing a lot of each other during your Jedi training." She cleared her throat. "Now I'm sure most of you are excited about swinging lightsabers and moving things with your mind - the 'cool' powers, so to speak - but that's not all there is to being a Jedi. In my classes, you will learn to open your minds to the mysteries of the Force. I like to call my area the philosophy of the Force."

"Oh great, philosophy," Anakin whispered.

"Well, Mom says her classes are interesting," Mae whispered back. "Maybe we'll like them."

"Jaina and Jacen don't."

"The universe is much bigger than you realize," Rianna continued, briefly looking down at her daughter and nephew as if she saw them talking, "and I don't mean just in terms of physical size. The Force helps make us aware of the mysteries we might not notice otherwise. Through the Force we are all connected, as you will learn in my classes . . ."

Suddenly an alarm sounded, screaching in everyone's ears, followed by a droid's voice sounding over the speakers in a panicked tone.

"Red alert!" the voice said. " Red alert! There has been a bomb threat!"


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Thanks for the reviews!

"Defenders of the Force, Episode 1: New Blood"

By EsmeAmelia

Chapter 2

"Everyone, stay calm!"

Luke ran onto the stage before the droid finished the warning. "Keep calm, everyone," he repeated. "We need to exit the building in an orderly fashion." He looked up at the balcony. "Han, you still have Owen up there with you, right?"

"Got him right here, kid," called Han.

"Hi Dad!" called Owen, waving down at his father. "Are we really gonna all blow up?"

"NO Owen, we're not," Luke said as Leia came running up behind him.

"Parents, come down here and find your children," she shouted in her calm-yet-forceful voice. "Once you have them, exit through the back doors. We will all meet at the restaurant across from the temple."

Despite Luke telling everyone to stay calm, there was practically a stampede down the stairs of panicked parents looking for their children. "Oh no!" 3PO was wailing from the stage. "This is awful! R2, why did I let you talk me into doing this orientation?"

Since Mae knew exactly where her own parents were, she decided to take the shortcut to them. She climbed over the seats, pushing her way past the other trainees, and ran up to the stage.

"Mae!" Rianna exclaimed, running up to her daughter and gathering her in a hug. "Don't worry, everything's going to be fine." She then looked up towards the audience, scanning the frantic crowd. "Owen? Owen, where are you?"

"I'm right here, Mom!" Owen called as he and Han came running up to the stage. Immediately Rianna opened her embrace to include Owen as well.

"Anakin!" Leia called into the audience.

"I'm coming, Mom!" Anakin shouted as he pushed his way through the crowd.

"Wait, what about the twins?" said Han.

"They'll be fine," said Luke. "All the classrooms are being evacuated. The important thing is to get out as fast as we can."

. . .

As far as Mae could tell, everyone got out safely, though she couldn't say she had been counting heads - that was her parents' job, after all. However, they probably wouldn't have bought her and her brother ice cream if there was anyone left in the building, so she could eat without feeling guilty.

The restaurant was packed with people. Most of the adults were talking among themselves at the counter while most of the children were eating. Mae was seated in a booth with Owen, Anakin, and Tamyra.

"When's the temple gonna blow up?" Owen said with a groan before licking chocolate sauce off the bottom of his spoon.

Mae rolled her eyes. "We don't _want _the temple to blow up, Owen."

"Well that'd be a rip-off if it didn't. What's the point of a bomb threat if the temple's not even gonna blow up?"

Tamyra laughed. "I like your little brother, Mae. He's hilarious."

Mae groaned. "You'd think differently if you had to live with him."

Tamyra laughed again, making Mae wonder if there was anything in the galaxy she didn't find funny.

"You _know, _Tamyra," said Anakin, "_I'm_ the youngest brother in my family too."

Despite being unable to see, Tamyra raised an eyebrow in Anakin's direction. "Yes, I know that."

Mae suddenly wished she were sitting with Jaina and Jacen, who were over at another table with some of their classmates. She looked out the window, where she could see that the Jedi temple was still standing. Who would send her father a bomb threat, anyway? She couldn't think of anyone. Maybe the Sith had secretly returned like they did when her grandfather was a boy. It was possible.

"All right everyone," Luke called out, causing all heads to turn and see that he was holding up his comlink. "R2 just informed me that he found the bomb and disabled it, so it's safe to go back in!"

"Thank the maker!" 3PO exclaimed.

"Are you sure?" said a mother.

"Yes," said Luke. "R2's never let me down."

"There's a first time for everything, kid," said Han, leaning against the counter with a beer in his hand. "And if you think my kids are goin' back in there after that . . ."

"I'm sure they'll be fine," interrupted Leia. "We don't want them to miss class and fall behind, after all."

"You mean you're still having _class_ today?" a father exclaimed, and within seconds Luke was surrounded by horrified parents voicing their concerns in rather loud tones.

"Okay, okay!" said Luke. "All classes today will be cancelled."

"What?" Mae exclaimed, awkwardly rising from her seat, the table pushing into her waist. "Dad, aren't the Jedi supposed to be able to face danger?"

"Of course they are, sweetheart," said Luke, "but they also don't go walking into danger when there's no need to."

"R2 found the bomb!" said Mae. "You said we could go back in!"

"Master Skywalker," said Tamyra, "if I may, I don't think there's any danger."

"Well it's better to be safe," said Luke. "The droids will scan the building for another day, and if nothing else is found by tomorrow, then we'll resume orientation and classes."

"But what about those of us who are from other planets?" asked Tamyra. "I'm supposed to be staying at the Jedi temple - where do we sleep tonight?"

Luke sighed. "All right, those of you whose parents dropped you off, you can stay at my place."

"What?" Rianna and Mae exclaimed together.

"I mean, if it's all right with my wife," Luke quickly ammended.

Rianna briskly stirred her tea. "Well, I guess it's all right - so long as everyone goes to bed at a decent time and I don't want any fooling around."

"Yay!" Owen shouted, throwing his arms up and nearly hitting Mae in the jaw. "A sleepover!"

Mae sank back into her seat. This was _not _how she imagined her first day as a Jedi.

. . .

Most of the trainees from off-planet had come with their parents, and thus they were able to stay at hotels and didn't have to take advantage of Luke's hospitality. There were only nine who had been dropped off like Tamyra, but that still meant the living room was the only room that had space for all of them.

While the children got themselves oriented, Luke and Rianna went to their home office to discuss the matters at hand, but they had barely started talking when the door slid open and Mae peeked in the doorway.

"Mae?" asked Rianna. "What are you doing here?"

Mae shrugged. "Everyone's arguing about which holofilm to watch and 3PO's shouting at them to calm down. I was wondering if I could stay here until the chaos dies down."

"Of course, sweetheart," said Rianna.

Luke immediately got up from his seat and wrapped his arms around his daughter. "I'm sorry things didn't go as planned, honey," he said, his real hand pressing into her back while his artificial hand was careful not to.

Mae looked over her father's shoulder at her mother, who had turned her chair to face them, one arm on her desk, the other in her lap. "Mom, what does your Force philosophy tell you about who planted the bomb?"

Rianna gave a slight grin. "I'm afraid Force philosophy doesn't have the answers to everything, dear."

Mae released herself from her father's embrace. "But wasn't there anything on the security cameras?"

"No," said Luke. "Whoever it was used the air ducts or something."

Mae folded her arms. "Then we need security cameras in the air ducts."

Luke smiled at his daughter. "Maybe we do."

"Do you at least know what the bomb threat said?" Mae asked. "Maybe we can get some clues from there."

"As a matter of fact, I have a printout of it right here," said Luke, going over to his desk and picking up a piece of paper. "You can read it if you want."

Mae took the paper. The message wasn't long, but it was clear with its intent.

_Luke Skywalker,_

_You don't know us, but we know you._

_We know how the Jedi are why the galaxy fell apart._

_We know that the Jedi only pretend to care about people._

_We know how you plan to corrupt young people because they happen to be born with a certain power._

_We have planted a bomb in your precious temple. Should you proceed with your planned orientation, it will go off._

_Signed,_

_The Revolutionaries._

"The Revolutionaries?" asked Mae. "Who or what are the Revolutionaries?"

Neither Luke nor Rianna had an answer.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Thanks for reading! Weird, the current plot on Clone Wars involves a bomb threat to the Jedi as well - I swear I didn't know about that when I wrote this.

"Defenders of the Force, Episode 1: New Blood"

By EsmeAmelia

Chapter 3

The comlink's infectuous beeping woke Han and Leia up. Leia immediately scrambled out of bed to answer it, but Han pulled the covers over his face and sank his head into the pillow. He concentrated on not listening to Leia's conversation and letting himself fall back asleep, but somehow the talking managed to penetrate his mind anyway.

"Leia," Luke's scratchy voice said, "did you tell the senate about what happened yesterday?"

"No," said Leia, "but I was planning to, yes. If someone's out to destroy the Jedi, the senate should know about it."

"Well some parent beat you to it," said Luke. "I've already gotten calls from four senators wanting me to make a public statement about the bomb threat."

"Well you _should," _said Leia. "In fact, you probably should have done so yesterday."

"Tell him to go do so and let me sleep," Han grumbled.

"Well what am I supposed to say?" asked Luke. "We don't know who did it and we don't know anything about them except that they called themselves 'the Revolutionaries.' Rianna and I were up half the night searching the databases for any hints, but we couldn't find anything."

"Then say you're doing everything in your power to find the people responisble," said Leia.

Luke sighed. "That'll probably get half the parents pulling their kids out of class."

"Would that be the worst thing?" asked Leia. "Maybe you should cancel classes for a little while until the perpatrator is caught."

Han didn't want to listen - he just wanted to sleep - but something kept his ear tensed up for Luke's answer.

"No," Luke said after a few seconds. "What does it say about the Jedi if we cower away from a threat?"

"It says you got common sense, kid," Han mumbled. "It says you ain't gonna risk kids' lives."

"The Jedi are supposed to suppress fear," said Luke, "not give in to it. If anyone wants to take their children out of class, I'll let them, but school will go on as scheduled."

Han pushed himself to a sitting position, though his eyes still wanted to close. "Look kid, I know you don't want my opinion, but I'm givin' it to you anyway - you're bein' subborn and idiotic and you got no business keeping the school open."

Luke's hologram glared over at Han. "Look Han, do you have any idea what I'm going through here? Closing the school is giving in to the 'Revolutionaries,' whoever they are."

"Isn't that better than the kids gettin' killed?" snapped Han.

"They're _not _going to get killed," insisted Luke. "We're going to increase the number of security droids and everyone will be searched before entering the building."

Han flopped back down on the bed. "Like _that'll _stop anyone." He pulled the covers back over his face in an attempt to block out the rest of the conversation. _Sleep,_ he repeated to himself. _Sleep, sleep, sleep._

Maybe he did doze off for a few minutes, but the next thing he knew, Leia was shaking his shoulder. "Come on flyboy, wake up," she said. "We've gotta go help Luke with his statement before his rescheduled orientation starts."

_"You _go," Han groaned. "I'll stay here and get the kids ready when it's actually time to get up."

"It's time to get up _now," _said Leia, pulling the blankets off his face.

"Hey!" exclaimed Han, trying to grab the blankets that his wife held just out of reach. "Who's the working mom and who's the stay-at-home dad here?"

Leia leaned over, staring down at him. "Today we're both working parents. Luke wants support from both of us." She leaned further and kissed her husband's lips. "Come on, we have to get the kids up."

"Oh, they've gotta come too?"

"No," said Leia, "but I don't think you want to deal with getting them up _after _Luke's statement and having just half an hour to get them to class."

. . .

"I assure you, we are taking every possible precaution to protect the students from these Revolutionaries," Luke said from the podium in front of the Jedi temple, surrounded by friends, senators, and members of the press. "But this threat will not prevent us from training our future Jedi. The school will remain open and all classes will proceed according to schedule."

"Master Skywalker," a reporter called from the crowd, "many people want the school to be closed until the Revolutionaries are caught. Do you have anything to say about that?"

"As I said before, we will not give in to the Revolutionaries," said Luke. "Whoever they are, they will not stop us from training the young Jedi."

"Master Skywalker," said another reporter, "do you have any idea who these Revolutionaries could be?"

"Do you think the Sith have returned?" asked a third reporter.

"I don't know who the Revolutionaries are," said Luke, "but no, I don't think the Sith have returned. A bomb threat wouldn't be the way of the Sith."

The reporter scrunched her mouth. "And what makes you think the Sith wouldn't change their ways if they _did _return?"

"I don't know for sure," answered Luke, "but I know that a simple bomb would be unattractive when you have the dark side of the Force in your command."

"But if it's not the Sith, who _would _it be?" the reporter asked.

"I already told you I don't know."

"Well could you at least take a guess?" the reporter pressed.

Luke was silent for several moments while the holographers' cameras flashed in his face. "Well," he finally said in a hesitant tone, "judging by their note, they seem to think the Jedi were responsible for the previous Republic's downfall. They are clearly misinformed. Maybe if they are willing to talk to us, we could come to an understanding, but that can't happen unless they show themselves."

. . .

The orientation proceeded according to plan, though the auditorium wasn't as full today as it was yesterday. As Luke predicted, some of the parents did take their children out of school, which left the auditorium only half-full.

Mae was sitting with Anakin and Tamyra again, but she was having difficulty listening to the teachers talking about their different classes. She felt like she was waiting for something that could happen at any moment, but what was it? Did she really expect another bomb to go off? That was stupid, right? She looked over at Tamyra and suddenly wondered if being blind meant she had better hearing than everyone else. Maybe Tamyra would hear a bomb ticking if there was one . . . or maybe she wouldn't.

She shifted her eyes, wondering what a Revolutionary would look like if there were one here. Maybe the Revolutionaries were just a bunch of kids playing a prank . . . but the bomb was real.

Suddenly she noticed her father on the stage. When did that happen? How much of the orientation had she missed by not paying attention?

"Future Jedi," Luke was saying, "as we saw yesterday, your lives will not be predictable. You may find your lives threatened again. It could happen soon, but you will have the Force to help you."

They would have the Force to help them? What was that supposed to mean? Mae seriously doubted that having the Force would prevent their bodies from exploding if a bomb were to go off. She leaned forward and folded her arms, feeling like she wouldn't be able to breathe properly until this orientation was over.

"The previous generation of Jedi would tell you that fear is something to be avoided," Luke continued. "They would say that a Jedi must not know fear because it's a path to the dark side. However, I say that you should acknowledge your fear. We are all scared - and that includes myself - but the trick is not letting fear overcome you."

_It won't matter whether or not we have fear if a bomb goes off,_ Mae thought. Even though yesterday she had been wanting to go back to class as soon as the bomb was disabled, now that she'd had a chance to think about it, she was almost wishing her father had listened to the parents who wanted him to close the school until the Revolutionaries were caught.

"Mae?" Anakin whispered.

"Yeah?"

"Do you think they'll come back?"

Mae sighed. "If they do, I don't think Dad's ready for them."

"Whoever these Revolutionaries are," whispered Tamyra, "they seem to have a bigger agenda than just blowing up the temple."

"What do you mean?" asked Anakin.

"Well, think about it," said Tamyra. "If they only wanted to blow up the temple, they would have just blown up the temple. They wouldn't have bothered threatening us and giving us a chance to get out and defuse the bomb. No, this was a statement. Something else has to be coming."

Mae turned her attention back to her father as he finished up his speech. "I look forward to teaching all of you," he was saying. "Thank you for coming to orientation, and may the Force be with you."

Mae hoped she hadn't missed anything important.

. . .

"Dad?" Mae asked after the orientation, when most of the students and parents had left the auditorium.

"Yes, sweetheart?" said Luke, heading over to his daughter's seat. "What is it?"

Mae stood up, her eyes peering over her father's shoulder. She had grown taller than her mother in the last year and now she was hoping to reach her father's height. "Dad, are you sure you know what you're doing?"

Luke patted his daughter's shoulder. "I hope so."

"So you're _not _sure."

Luke sighed. "Come on, Mae. Let's walk a little."

They left the auditorium and headed into the hall, stopping by a window that overlooked the city. "Mae," said Luke, "you know what Master Yoda told me before he died, right?"

"That Aunt Leia was your sister?"

"No, besides that," said Luke.

"Did you really make out with her once?"

"_No."_

"Really? Well Uncle Han says . . ."

"_Forget _what Uncle Han says," Luke said sternly. "As I was saying, Master Yoda said, 'Pass on what you have learned.' Every time I welcome new students here I think about that." He gazed out at the speeders flying by in their orderly lanes. "That is the most important responsibility the Jedi have - teaching the next generation. It's the only way to ensure the future of the Jedi."

Mae looked over at the dome-shaped senate building. Probably her aunt would be leading a discussion on the bomb threat this very afternoon. They might decide this was a matter of Republic security and force Luke to shut the Academy down.

"Dad?" she asked after a few moments.

"Yes?"

"Do you think I'll like being a Jedi?"

The question seemed to take Luke by surprise. His eyebrows went up as he turned to look at his daughter. "Well . . . do _you _think you'll like being a Jedi?"

Mae shrugged, pressing her nose against the glass as she scratched at a pimple on her cheek. "Well, if these Revolutionaries reveal themselves and we get to fight them, I might enjoy that."

"Don't talk like that," Luke said suddenly.

"Why not?"

"Because the Jedi don't _enjoy _fighting," said Luke. "They only do it when it's necessary."

Mae sighed, blowing a stray hair out of her face. "Do you think it'll be necessary soon?"

Luke didn't answer.

The father and daughter stared out the window, wondering what the near future would hold.

TO BE CONTINUED

AN: All right, that's the end of this particular "episode" (yeah, it was short, but it was mainly just an introduction). The next episode will be in a new story, which will hopefully come soon.


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